CRABS. 



Berried. 

 Gauge. 



Decrease. 



Price. 



Close time. 



Berried. 



Used for bait. 



Enforcement of 

 laic. 



LOBSTERS. 



Decrease. 



Price. 



Gauge. 



Spawning. 



Berried. 



Plugging. 



Close time. 



July, and August, and would propose a close time during those months. Is in 

 favour of returning all berried crabs to the water. Would extend prohibition 

 of un sizeable crabs to 6 inches across the back. It should be illegal to buy, 

 sell, or have in possession for sale, all unsizeable crabs. 



(By Mr. Walpole.) Has been in business for 44 years. Purchases from an 

 agent who takes the whole take of particular fishermen. Is sure the decrease of 

 crabs is due to a decreased supply of crabs and over fishing. The railway has 

 diverted many of the crabs to other markets, but the decrease in the sea is 

 absolute. There may perhaps be as many crabs in the sea, but they are 

 smaller. The decrease, therefore, is not a decrease in number, but a decrease in 

 size. In consequence of increased demand for crabs it pays fishermen to catch 

 smaller crabs. When he commenced business in 1832 he could buy a dozen 

 (12) crabs for \0d. A dozen crabs would be now 3s. This refers to medium 

 sized crabs. 



There is a considerable demand for crabs in June, July, and August. There 

 would at first be a good deal of indignation among the crab eaters at these 

 months being closed, but it is necessary to close them. The decrease in crabs 

 in the sea is a decrease in size, and if the capture of all small crabs were pre- 

 vented, it would enable them to grow up into large crabs, and so reduce the de- 

 crease. The close season, if introduced, must apply to the whole of England 

 and Scotland; sees great difficulty in this. It would be useless to have a local 

 law. If it were impossible to close the Cornish fisheries in June, July, and 

 August, it would be useless to close the Scotch fisheries. 



Proposes that all berried crabs should be returned to the water. Fishermen 

 could not pick the berries clean off. The fishermen might be tempted to do so, 

 but any skilled person could detect this at once. Sees a great many berried 

 crabs, but only in the summer. Fishermen frequently cut crabs up for bait. 

 Don't do it so much now as they used to do. The crabs are worth too much 

 money. If it were made illegal to sell berried crabs they would not be broken 

 up, because there is too little meat in them to make it worth while. 



(By Mr. Young.) There are about 24 stations where the White Herring 

 Board have fishery officers,* and they might possibly carry out the provisions of 

 an Act of Parliament. They would be the proper persons to do so. The 

 salmon watchers might also assist. There would be an officer of the White 

 Herring Board at all the stations at which the crabs are taken. At the time 

 the crabs are taken these officers have not much to do. 



(By Mr. Buckland.) The lobsters come from almost all quarters — Orkneys, 

 Shetlands, West Highlands, and various stations in the Firth of Forth. They 

 have diminished both in size and number. The decrease began 20 to 25 years 

 ago. They have decreased one half in the last 20 years. About 20 years ago 

 you could get lobsters for Is. apiece which would now cost 2s. or 2s. 6d. 

 Lobsters used to be gauged from the tip of the nose to the end of the barrel. 

 4^ inches used to be their gauge, and this would be equivalent to a lobster 8 to 

 9 inches long. Every lobster under this size used to be returned. This was 

 in accordance with an agreement between the dealers and the fishermen. Xo 

 lobster of less than 8 inches should be taken from the sea. The falling off of 

 lobsters is due to taking lobsters too small, and to taking berried lobsters in the 

 breeding season, and to the increased demand. The lobsters are chiefly in 

 berry in June, July, and August, but you may get berried lobsters at any 

 time of the year. The berried hens are good to eat, but there is not so mucL 

 meat in them as in others. There is a great demand for berried hens. They 

 are more valuable than any other lobsters. Thinks that all berried lobsters 

 should be returned to the water, even though the cooks should suffer. It 

 would not be possible to remove the berries so that a skilled man should not 

 know that they had been removed. Very few lobsters are plugged now, they 

 are mostly tied. Thinks that plugging injures the flesh. Has seen lobsters 

 as small as 6 inches. An 8-inch lobster would be about two years old. 

 There are no reservoirs in Scotland for keeping lobsters ezcept at Canty Bay. 

 The only legislation he recommends for lobsters is return of berried hens in 

 June, July, and August, and return of unsizeable lobsters. 



(By Mr. Young.) Would prefer to haA-e June, July, and August entirely 

 closed for lobsters and crabs, and that the fishery officers under the White 



See Appendix, No. II., page 65. 



